TimbreDynamics Cable Lifters

[PeterA]

Cable lifters reduce the coupling capacity, which takes place via the floor. If you lift the cable, the gain is instant, and capacitive coupling is reduced. This can be measured. See hifi today (written in German)

In addition, speakers move a lot of air and cause vibrations. Nobody wants a vibrating speaker cord on the amplifier.

For these reasons, cable lifters are essential hi-fi accessories for me.

I tried two different brands of lifters borrowed from friends years ago and they seem to have zero effect on the sound of my system.

If cables vibrate because of the speaker output, wouldn’t they vibrate more if they’re hanging in the air near the speaker and not supported low on the ground?

I also wonder about the cable being supported on points and then hanging in free air in sections.

Some may think that they look cool. I also understand that it does send a message to sort of keep away and not step on the cables. That sounds like a very practical reason and makes some sense to me. Also for the purpose of separating the cables from each other seems like a practical function.

 

[PeterA]

As long as cable lifters don't do any damage to the sound, isn't it enough that they make our spiders' webs of cables look a little bit more neat and organized?

I agree with the people who suggest that getting the cables off the floor makes them less likely to get stepped on or vacuumed over.

Ron aren’t your speakers in amplifiers gonna be in the front of your room on wood flooring? I would think it would be quite easy to separate the power cords from the amps to the wall to interconnect cables and run the speaker cables forward to the speakers without any interference or overlap of the cables. Everything else is going to be behind your rack hanging between components in another room.

What kind of separation are you going to need to be doing? I can’t imagine anyone with a vacuum cleaner getting close to your amps and speakers anyway.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron aren’t your speakers in amplifiers gonna be in the front of your room on wood flooring? I would think it would be quite easy to separate the power cords from the amps to the wall to interconnect cables and run the speaker cables forward to the speakers without any interference or overlap of the cables. Everything else is going to be behind your rack hanging between components in another room.

What kind of separation are you going to need to be doing? I can’t imagine anyone with a vacuum cleaner getting close to your amps and speakers anyway.

I wasn't necessarily talking about my system; I was thinking generally about most set-ups.

You are correct that in my case the power cables will go straight from the bass towers and the amps to the front wall;* and the long interconnects will come in from the right side wall (and perpendicular to the power cables).

Even for my system, specifically, I think it's nice to get the cables off the floor, for the reasons you wrote.

* This is why I cannot yet order any power cables, because I don't know the lengths which will be required. They will be somewhere between 7 and 11 feet long.

 

[PeterA]

I wasn't necessarily talking about my system; I was thinking generally about most set-ups.

You are correct that in my case the power cables will go straight from the bass towers and the amps to the front wall; and the long interconnects will come in from the right side wall (and perpendicular to the power cables).

Even for my system, specifically, I think it's nice to get the cables off the floor, for the reasons you wrote.

Ron, have you asked the manufacturer what spacing he recommends between lifters and how much sag is OK?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron, have you asked the manufacturer what spacing he recommends between lifters and how much sag is OK?

No; but he's not an electrical person, so I think that question would have to be addressed to the manufacturers of the cables.

 

[PeterA]

No; but he's not an electrical person, so I think that question would have to be addressed to the manufacturers of the cables.

Perhaps we could get @DaveC to share his views on this fascinating subject.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

Well these are certainly the prettiest looking cable lifters I've ever seen. Mike clearly has a knack for industrial design.

Thank you, Vince. I appreciate the kind words.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

Where is the "chrome metal" material being used on these cable platforms?
Can customers specify to remove the 'chrome metal" or any other metallic parts completely from the platform?

Jerome, The metal is only in the logo (which is very small and thin) on the front of the marble base. I can ship with or without it.

 

[rando]

@TimbreDynamics Welcome to the forum.

Can we ask you to expand on decisions that informed your design choice utilizing a slotted circular design and as a whole. I welcome the chance to hear about your own vision of this project.

 

[tima]

Purely aesthetically, I like the black marble base; I like the walnut butcher block; I like that Mike will replace the felt on the bottom with a layer of Sorbothane. (I would like a visco-elastic absorption layer somewhere between the cable and the hard floor.)

I, personally, don't care for the keyhole. The slot, I suspect, is for a ribbon cable (which I don't happen to use).

If I order these I would ask Mike to cut off the keyhole so that the cable rests in a concave half circle which is fully open at the top.

I think having the wire held captive by the thingie is a down side. You need to unplug to add an additional lifter or remove a lifter. Switching wires would be a pita if done frequently. Ron, cutting the top off seems like the keyhole aesthetic gets compromised; it might be simpler to make them without the keyhole with an open top, and save wood too for those who choose that style.

Walnut and marble is a good look. I'd probably prefer a nicer grade of marble, without any logo, maybe something simple with a touch of texture, like ubatuba - what I see in the picture looks like molded plastic. If sorbothane is an option it should be easily replaceable and replacements offered because sorbothane wears out. I'd suggest consulting with "an electrical person" and perhaps a "materials person" to learn the effective reality of the "capacitive coupling" mentioned earlier (everything vibrates, we know this already). In the world of cable lifters I can't help but think that is good information to have.

The name "TimbreDynamics" is great - I really like that.

I see Mr. TimbreDynamics has added to this thread as I type. Look at all the free consumer input! :--) Welcome to WBF, Mike. What else do you make? Do you have a Web site?

 

[PeterA]

Years ago I placed a power conditioner on Sorbothane pucks on the floor and they left marks which I’m having a very hard time removing from the floorboards. I would be cautious about Sorbothane In contact with wood floorboards.

 

[marty]

Ugh. Here we go again. If you are spending more than $1 on a cable lifter, you are wasting your money.
You can't beat rubber as an insulator. See post #63.

Cable Lifts thread

Love it Marc, though figuring that euros could become an endangered species over your way eventually and sadly stacks of pounds might be the cheaper option for cable lifters... with nothing much left over for beer even.

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[tima]

Welcome to WBF, Mike. What else do you make? Do you have a Web site

I see the opening post now has a Web site listed. @TimbreDynamics are you still in the 'conceptual stage'?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Where is the "chrome metal" material being used on these cable platforms?
Can customers specify to remove the 'chrome metal" or any other metallic parts completely from the platform?

Mike Goppert responds: The only chrome metal "is the Timbre Dynamics logo."

 

[TimbreDynamics]

@TimbreDynamics Welcome to the forum.

Can we ask you to expand on decisions that informed your design choice utilizing a slotted circular design and as a whole. I welcome the chance to hear about your own vision of this project.

Sure. I am always trying to think of ways for any audio component/accessory to be flexible in its implementation. There is no right way to design something to work for every use case, but designs can be multi-faceted to a degree as long as it does not compromise its primary function. I designed the Iris cable management system to accommodate both ribbon and round cables. As we know, many audiophiles change gear quite often. With the support for both, this gives the end-user options without having to be penalized financially for changing out one component (a cascading effect). I can also customize these to include 2 separate round cables as well. A lot of my work is customized based on the user's preference (within reason).

There are certainly skeptics out there when it comes to cable lifters. Without getting into a debate, which I'll leave for the scientists in the group, I designed and named these after the cable management aspect. Let's face it, many audiophiles value form as well as function. When spending large dollars on your system, you also want it to look good. The cable management not only gives your system a polished look, but it also helps get those cables off the ground for easier cleaning of the surrounding space.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

I see the opening post now has a Web site listed. @TimbreDynamics are you still in the 'conceptual stage'?

I'm in the conceptual stage for the speaker design. That is a lofty goal that will take some time to realize. One of the hardest things for a small business to make work is logistics for larger pieces. I also sell audio room furniture (racks, plinths, vinyl and CD holders, minibars, etc..). I sell those exclusively locally only due to the costs of shipping larger pieces. Shipping is very costly for small companies (as I am learning) and also the damage caused by shipping really can eat into your profits.

I am in the process of designing large open baffle subs based on the GR research servo sub design. I have a couple of interested parties locally. I hope to get that kick-started later this year and will post more as those become a reality.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

Ugh. Here we go again. If you are spending more than $1 on a cable lifter, you are wasting your money.
You can't beat rubber as an insulator. See post #63.

Cable Lifts thread

Love it Marc, though figuring that euros could become an endangered species over your way eventually and sadly stacks of pounds might be the cheaper option for cable lifters... with nothing much left over for beer even.

www.whatsbestforum.com

I believe form and function are important to a lot of audio enthusiasts, so options are a good thing.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

Years ago I placed a power conditioner on Sorbothane pucks on the floor and they left marks which I’m having a very hard time removing from the floorboards. I would be cautious about Sorbothane In contact with wood floorboards.

These units come standard with soft felt. I can use Sorbothane if requested for a little extra cost. I can also put rubber feet on the bottom.

 

[TimbreDynamics]

I think having the wire held captive by the thingie is a down side. You need to unplug to add an additional lifter or remove a lifter. Switching wires would be a pita if done frequently. Ron, cutting the top off seems like the keyhole aesthetic gets compromised; it might be simpler to make them without the keyhole with an open top, and save wood too for those who choose that style.

Walnut and marble is a good look. I'd probably prefer a nicer grade of marble, without any logo, maybe something simple with a touch of texture, like ubatuba - what I see in the picture looks like molded plastic. If sorbothane is an option it should be easily replaceable and replacements offered because sorbothane wears out. I'd suggest consulting with "an electrical person" and perhaps a "materials person" to learn the effective reality of the "capacitive coupling" mentioned earlier (everything vibrates, we know this already). In the world of cable lifters I can't help but think that is good information to have.

The name "TimbreDynamics" is great - I really like that.

I see Mr. TimbreDynamics has added to this thread as I type. Look at all the free consumer input! :--) Welcome to WBF, Mike. What else do you make? Do you have a Web site?

Helo Tima, yes all good stuff. The bottom line is I can customize these to your liking. Everything is made by hand after you order. I would say 70% of my business is custom orders, of course I may charge a little more in order to get it designed and approved. There is nothing I make that is prebuilt. Of course, this business model is not conducive to handling a flurry of orders. I'm still a very small vendor doing this on the side right now. You can visit my shop on Etsy @ https://www.etsy.com/shop/TimbreDynamics. I also have a website https://www.timbredynamics.com, but that is more of a placeholder for when my business expands.

 

[tima]

Helo Tima, yes all good stuff. The bottom line is I can customize these to your liking. Everything is made by hand after you order. I would say 70% of my business is custom orders, of course I may charge a little more in order to get it designed and approved. There is nothing I make that is prebuilt. Of course, this business model is not conducive to handling a flurry of orders. I'm still a very small vendor doing this on the side right now. You can visit my shop on Etsy @ https://www.etsy.com/shop/TimbreDynamics. I also have a website https://www.timbredynamics.com, but that is more of a placeholder for when my business expands.

Thanks for the follow-up and for introducing your business to us on WBF! Good luck going forward.